Monroe County Court Records

Section 28.24 of the Florida legislature defines a "court record" as the contents of a court file, including the progress dockets and similar records generated to document case activity, documentary exhibits in a clerk's custody, transcripts filed with a clerk, and the electronic records, stenographic tapes, and video recordings of court proceedings. The Monroe Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's Office (subsequently referred to as the Clerk's Office) serves as the legal custodian of Monroe County court records and furnishes access as directed by law.

The courts in Monroe County retain records of legal proceedings for several reasons. First and foremost, this policy promotes public transparency in the court system. With the general availability of court records, members of the public can easily follow and review cases of interest, which, in turn, enables them to hold judges accountable for their decisions. Another objective behind maintaining court records is to preserve a comprehensive account of legal proceedings, which can be referred to for judicial precedents in future deliberations and when researching the law.

Are Court Records Public in Monroe County?

Yes. Monroe court records are accessible to the general public under Florida's Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration, rule 2.420. This court rule outlines the kinds of records available to anyone and limits access where confidentiality is required by law, court rule, or court order.

Accordingly, while many Monroe court records can be seen or reviewed by anyone regardless of their citizenship status, the following are excluded from the public's access:

• Trial and appellate court memoranda
• Complaints of misconduct against judges until probable cause is established
• Unexecuted arrest and search warrants and their supporting affidavits
• All records made confidential by Florida or US law or constitution
• Juvenile court records, including records about termination of parental rights, dependency, delinquency, and child abuse, neglect, and abandonment
• Adoption records
• Clinical records of defendants found incompetent to proceed or acquitted because of insanity
• Estate inventories and accountings
• Gestational surrogacy records
• Complete presentence investigation reports

Monroe County Court Records Search

To conduct a Monroe County court records search, an individual has different options, such as visiting the courthouse where a case/action was filed or heard and submitting a written request to the Clerk's Office. Equally available to members of the public are third-party databases that can simplify the case search process in multiple jurisdictions.

Monroe County Courts

Monroe County (Florida's 16th Judicial Circuit) consists of a circuit court that maintains general trial jurisdiction over cases not statutorily assigned to the county court and hears appeals from the county court. The county also has a county court (often called the people's court) that handles specific matters, including misdemeanors, traffic violations, and civil disputes with lesser monetary amounts.

The circuit and county courthouses in Monroe County, Florida, are located at the following addresses:

Freeman Justice Center
302 Fleming Street
Key West, FL 33040

Marathon Courthouse
3117 Overseas Highway
Marathon, FL 33050

Plantation Key Government Center
88770 Overseas Highway
Suite 1
Tavernier, FL 33070

Monroe County Criminal Records

People looking for Monroe County criminal records maintained by law enforcement agencies can approach the local police department serving the area where an arrest or charge occurred. Such records are categorized as Monroe County public records and can be freely accessed to the extent the law permits.

For instance, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) provides a current arrests database and arrest history search tool on its website. Members of the public can also contact/visit the Sheriff's Records Department to find public Monroe arrest records or schedule an appointment with the Sheriff's Office to get fingerprinted for purposes like government job applications and concealed weapon permits.

A Monroe criminal records search can also be conducted at the state level through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). In this case, the inquiry will uncover not only Monroe County arrest records and other criminal data submitted to the FDLE by law enforcement agencies but also similar records in other Florida jurisdictions. The FDLE provides these statewide criminal record checks to anyone who pays the search fee, typically $24 plus a $1 credit card processing charge.

Get Monroe County Civil Court Records

Civil court records are the formal documentation generated when a court sits in judgment over a noncriminal matter. These cases include personal injury, replevin, foreclosure, breach of contract, eviction, mass tort, small claims, malpractice, and intellectual property.

A written or oral application can be made to the Monroe Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's office to obtain civil court records generated in the Monroe circuit and county courts. Below are the Clerk's Office locations:

Key West
500 Whitehead Street
Key West, FL 33040
Phone: (305) 292-3458

Marathon
3117 Overseas Highway
Marathon, FL 33050
Phone: (305) 289-6027

Plantation Key
88770 Overseas Highway
Suite 2
Plantation Key, FL 33070
Phone: (305) 852-7145

Monroe civil court records can also be sought online through the Clerk's case management system. Upon accepting the disclaimer, users can select "Civil Case Records" from the system's search tabs to open the appropriate search engine. The Civil Case Records Search can be accessed with a case party's name (individual/business) or a case number. Users can also filter their search results with a filing date feature. Besides viewing docket information from most civil cases, inquirers can also view/print public case documents from 2007 to date for most civil case types.

Monroe County Marriage Records

The Monroe County Clerk's Office is the regional issuer of marriage licenses for the State of Florida and provides marriage records to interested persons. After each marriage license is issued and returned to the Clerk's Office, the license is recorded as part of the Monroe County public records.

Generally, an individual can access the Clerk's Official Records portal to obtain Monroe County marriage records (February 1954 to present). The system utilizes different search criteria, including a name, document type, and book/page search. Marriage applications and licenses can be viewed or printed from the portal at no cost.

Direct inquiries for a Monroe County marriage license can also be made at any Clerk's Office location during business hours. However, fees will apply for copy requests.

In addition, members of the public can obtain a Monroe County marriage certificate (June 6, 1927 to present) from the Florida Health Department. Marriage certificates are only an abstract of the information in a marriage license, proving that a marital union was finalized and recorded within a region. Ordering guidelines and fees for these Monroe County marriage records are provided on the department's How to Order a Florida Marriage Certificate page.

Monroe County Divorce Records

When obtaining a document filed or maintained because of a divorce case in Monroe becomes necessary, a person may inquire at the Monroe Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller's Office, which serves as the official custodian of such records.

Inquiries can be submitted orally or in writing to the Clerk's Office. However, all requests must include sufficient information enabling staff to find the record(s) in question, such as a case party's name or case number.

A divorce record inquiry can also be conducted via the Clerk's online case management system, specifically through the Family Case Records Search portal. The search criterion is a party name or case number. For search efficiency, it is advised to select "Dissolution" from the Case Type dropdown menu and provide a filing date range (if known).

Note: Users can only view basic case information and a list of filed documents on the online case management system. Per the Florida Supreme Court's Standards for Access to Electronic Court Records and the Access Security Matrix, remote access is not available for divorce case documents. Nonetheless, publicly available divorce records can be obtained directly from the Clerk's Office.

It is worth mentioning that the Florida Department of Health issues divorce certificates (abstracts of information taken from divorce judgments) to the public for a fee. These certificates can prove that someone obtained a dissolution in Monroe, but they are not the actual divorce judgments, which are retrievable from the Clerk's Office.

Monroe County and Death Records

Birth and death records refer to the official documentation of a child's birth or person's demise. These records are important for compiling regional vital statistics and have other legal uses, including establishing a person's parental lineage and assisting claim settlements.

The Florida Department of Health in Monroe is the go-to agency for birth and death certificates. This department can issue Monroe County birth records as far back as 1930 and Monroe County death records from 2009 to the present date. However, requesters should be aware of the following statutory limitations:

• Birth certificates are not public records per FS 382.025. They can only be released to the subjects (if 18 years or older) and parents named on records, legal guardians (with proof of guardianship), legal representatives of the aforementioned parties, and persons bearing a court order.
• Death certificates with cause of death are confidential for 50 years from the date of death. These are only released to a deceased's family members, beneficiaries, and guardians, with supporting documentation. However, certificates without cause of death can be disclosed to any legal adult (18 years or older) with valid identification.

It costs $20 to order a copy of a Monroe County birth certificate. This fee can be paid by money order, check, or cash. All requesters of Monroe County birth records must submit a completed birth certificate application and valid photo ID (e.g., passport, state ID card, or driver's license) to the Monroe County Vital Records Office.

Physical Address

Office of Vital Statistics
1100 Simonton Street
Room 176
Key West, FL 33040
Phone: (305) 676-3840
Email: DOHMonroe@flhealth.gov

Mailing Address

Florida Department of Health in Monroe County
Attention: Vital Statistics
1100 Simonton Street
Key West, FL 33040

A Monroe County birth certificate can also be ordered at the local Tax Collector's Office in Key Largo and Key West.

Conversely, a copy of a Monroe County death certificate costs $16 to order. Requesters must complete the death certificate application and submit a valid phone ID to the Health Department in Monroe. An ID is not required, however, if the request pertains to a death record w/o cause of death or a death record w/ cause of death that is over 50 years old.

Monroe County Probate Court Records

Probate court proceedings encompass actions pertaining to the administration of a decedent's estate (including settling debts and distributing assets) and the establishment of guardianship or conservatorship for minors and incapacitated adults. Probate cases are heard in the circuit court in Monroe County, and the Clerk's Office maintains all corresponding records.

To obtain a Monroe County probate court record, an individual may query the Clerk's Probate Case Records Search portal with a party name or case number. Probate case information is viewable at no cost.

Parties can also stop by any of the Clerk's Office locations to make an oral request for copies or prepare a letter (bearing all pertinent case information, like a case party's name) and mail it to the Clerk's Office address. Plain copies cost $1 per page. Meanwhile, certified copies cost $2 to certify a document, plus a $1 per page copy fee.

Monroe County Property Records

Monroe County property records include ownership, sales, assessment, tax, and other important data about real estate (or real property) located in the county. These records can be obtained from the following places:

• The Monroe Clerk's Office via its remote Official Records portal, which features various search parameters to simplify a person's research. Individuals can also purchase certified copies of property documents at any Clerk's Office location in Monroe County. Generally, it costs $2 for certification and $1 per page for copies. The Clerk's fee schedule has other relevant costs.
• The Monroe County Property Appraiser's Office at the following address:

500 Whitehead Street
Key West, FL 33040
Phone: (305) 292-3420

Individuals can also use the Property Search feature under Quick Links on the Appraiser's website to look up property records in Monroe County.

Monroe County Court Records Online

In addition to official government repositories, members of the public have third-party aggregator websites, like Floridacourtrecords.us, at their disposal to conduct a court records search. Like their government counterparts, third-party sites may be accessible with a name or case number. However, these websites go further to provide other kinds of public records that may be related to the search query, such as property and criminal records, thereby cementing their usefulness in uncovering records from various US jurisdictions.

However, one significant limitation of these websites is that the information provided may not be as current as that obtained from government sources.